NFL Charities, the charitable foundation of the National Football League, has awarded $1 million in grants to support 89 charitable player foundations, it was announced Monday.
As part of NFL Charities Week, five player foundations receiving NFL Charities grants will be recognized at events nationwide on five consecutive days beginning Monday and continuing through April 3. Players being celebrated this week are Torry Holt and Terrence Holt, both free agents; Matt Light, New England Patriots; Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins; Tony Richardson, New York Jets; and Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys. Each player will host a community event this week. A full list of the 89 player foundations receiving NFL Charities Grants this year is below.
"Our players know that the legacy they leave in the community is as important as any on-field achievements," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, president of the NFL Charities board of directors. "We are proud to support their foundations and applaud their efforts to make their communities healthy, happy, and safe."
The NFL has long supported players' philanthropic endeavors and NFL Charities has awarded more than $10 million to player foundations in recent years.
Formed in 1973, NFL Charities is a nonprofit organization that enables NFL teams and their players to contribute collectively to charitable causes on a national level. NFL Charities, which has approved more than $110 million in grants to more than 300 different organizations since its inception, donates more than $10 million in grants annually to support causes such as sports-related medical research, youth health programs and the charitable work of current and former NFL players
NFL Charities Board
Commissioner Roger Goodell; former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue; Charlotte Jones Anderson, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president/director of charities; Michael Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals president; Jack Kemp, former MVP quarterback, congressman and vice presidential candidate; Mary Owen, Buffalo Bills vice president of strategic planning; Alan Page, Minnesota Supreme Court justice and Pro Football Hall of Fame member; Delores Barr Weaver, Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation CEO.
| 2009 NFL Charities Player Foundation Grant Recipients | ||
| Player | Foundation | |
|---|---|---|
| ELIJAH ALEXANDER (retired) | Tackle Myeloma Foundation | |
| LORENZO ALEXANDER, WAS | ACES Foundation | |
| JASON ALLEN, MIA | J. Allen AllStars Foundation | |
| WILL ALLEN, TB | Will Allen Foundation | |
| REGGIE BERRY (retired) | Goals for Life Foundation, Inc. | |
| ERIC BEVERLY (retired) | The Eric Beverly Family Foundation | |
| MATT BIRK, BAL | HIKE Foundation | |
| JORDAN BLACK, JAC | Suburban Missionaries Inc. | |
| CHRIS BOBER (retired) | Chris Bober Building Blocks Foundation | |
| GARY BRACKETT, IND | Gary Brackett's IMPACT Foundation | |
| DREW BREES, NO | The Brees Dream Foundation | |
| DERRICK BROOKS, (TB) | Derrick Brooks CharitiesBrooks Debartolo Charities | |
| ISAAC BRUCE, SF | Isaac Bruce Foundation | |
| DERON CHERRY (retired) | Deron Cherry Celebrity Golf Tournament | |
| DUSTIN COLQUITT, KC | The Colquitt for Kids Foundation | |
| BRODIE CROYLE, KC | Brodie Croyle Foundation | |
| DEVARD DARLING, KC | As One Foundation | |
| CHRIS DRAFT, STL | Chris Draft Family Foundation | |
| WARRICK DUNN, (TB) | Warrick Dunn Foundation, Inc. | |
| DONNIE EDWARDS, (KC) | Best Defense Foundation | |
| HERM EDWARDS (retired) | The Herm Edwards Foundation | |
| NORM EVANS (retired) | Pro Athletes Outreach | |
| LONDON FLETCHER, WAS | London's Bridge Foundation | |
| DRAYTON FLORENCE, BUF | The Drayton Florence Foundation | |
| TOM FLORES (retired) | Tom Flores Youth Foundation | |
| DOUG FLUTIE (retired) | Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism | |
| DARYL GARDENER (retired) | Gardener's Kids Center, Inc. | |
| TARIK GLENN (retired) | D R E A M Alive, Inc. | |
| LA'ROI GLOVER, STL | La'Roi Glover Foundation | |
| TONY GONZALEZ, KC | Tony Gonzalez Foundation | |
| JACOB GREEN (retired) | Jaycees Children Center | |
| JARVIS GREEN, NE | Jarvis Green Foundation | |
| TRENT GREEN, (STL) | Trent Green Family Foundation | |
| CHAD GREENWAY, MIN | Chad Greenway Foundation | |
| BRIAN GRIESE, TB | Judi's House | |
| BRUCE HARPER (retired) | Heroes & Cool Kids/Brunan, Inc. | |
| JAMES "SHACK" HARRIS & DOUG WILLIAMS (retired) | Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation | |
| EJ HENDERSON, MIN | EJ Henderson Youth Foundation | |
| TORRY (STL) & TERRENCE HOLT, (NO) | Holt Foundation | |
| KEITH JACKSON (retired) | PARK Foundation | |
| MARLIN JACKSON, IND | Marlin Jackson Fight for Life Foundation | |
| RUDI JOHNSON, (DET) | The Rudi Johnson Foundation | |
| JIM KELLY (retired) | Hunter's Hope Foundation | |
| JEFF KEMP (retired) | Families Northwest | |
| TYRONE KEYS (retired) | All Sports Community Service, Inc. | |
| KENARD LANG (retired) | Kenard Lang Foundation | |
| TIM LESTER (retired) | Tim Lester Cares, Inc | |
| MATT LIGHT, NE | The Light Foundation, Inc. | |
| JOHN LYNCH (retired) | John Lynch Foundation | |
| MARTY LYONS (retired) | Marty Lyons Foundation | |
| PEYTON MANNING, IND | PeyBack Foundation | |
| DAN MARINO (retired) | Dan Marino Foundation | |
| DEVON MCDONALD (retired) | Sports World Ministries, Inc. | |
| REGGIE MCKENZIE (retired) | Reggie McKenzie Foundation, Inc. | |
| TERRENCE METCALF, (CHI) | Metcalf-Holden Foundation | |
| NAT MOORE (retired) | Nat Moore Foundation, Inc. | |
| BRIAN MOORMAN, BUF | Punt Foundation | |
| RYAN NECE, (DET) | The Ryan Nece Foundation | |
| TERENCE NEWMAN, DAL | Terence Newman's Rising Stars | |
| GIFFORD NIELSEN (retired) | Won Heart Foundation | |
| ROMAN OBEN (retired) | Roman Oben at the Champions Fund | |
| CHRISTIAN OKOYE (retired) | The Christian Okoye Foundation | |
| TERRELL OWENS, BUF | Catch a Dream Foundation | |
| ALAN PAGE (retired) | Page Education Foundation | |
| CHAD PENNINGTON, MIA | 1st and 10 Foundation | |
| MIKE PETERSON, ATL | The Mike Peterson Foundation | |
| TONY RICHARDSON, NYJ | Rich in Spirit | |
| ISIAH ROBERTSON (retired) | House of Isaiah-Athletes for a Drug Free America | |
| BEN ROETHLISBERGER, PIT | The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation | |
| TWAN RUSSELL (retired) | Russell Life Skills & Reading Foundation, Inc. | |
| CLIFTON RYAN, STL & LAMARR WOODLEY, PIT | Heroes for Kids | |
| JUNIOR SEAU, NE | Junior Seau Foundation | |
| TONY SEMPLE (retired) | Tony Semple Foundation for Hope | |
| WILL SHIELDS (retired) | Will to Succeed Foundation | |
| MATT STOVER, (BAL) | Matt Stover Foundation | |
| JASON TAYLOR, (WAS) | Jason Taylor Foundation | |
| JOJO TOWNSELL (retired) | MEFIYI Foundation | |
| GREG TRUITT (retired) | The Upside Down Foundation | |
| MIKE UTLEY (retired) | Mike Utley Foundation | |
| KURT WARNER, ARI | Kurt Warner First Things First Foundation | |
| BRIAN WATERS, KC | Brian Waters 54 Foundation | |
| MADIEU WILLIAMS, MIN | Madieu Williams Foundation | |
| ROY WILLIAMS, (DAL) | The Roy Williams Safety Net Foundation | |
| WILLIE WILLIAMS (retired) | Show Them We Care | |
| GRANT WISTROM (retired) | Grant Wistrom Foundation | |
| JASON WITTEN, DAL | Jason Witten S.C.O.R.E. Foundation | |
| JERRY WUNSCH (retired) | Wusch Family Foundation | |
| ROYNELL YOUNG (retired) | Pro-Vision Ministries, Inc. | |
| STEVE YOUNG (retired) | Forever Young Foundation | |
